Award Date
5-1-2024
Degree Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Occupational Therapy Doctorate
Department
Brain Health
First Committee Member
Donnamarie Krause
Second Committee Member
Jefferson Kinney
Number of Pages
118
Abstract
Purpose
Adolescence is a challenging time navigating self-control and decision-making, creating vulnerability to developing poor habits and unhealthy behaviors. This feasibility study aimed to determine if a high-intensity training program (HIT) would improve self-control, health-related behaviors, and healthy occupational participation in at-risk adolescents in the Real Talk Youth Impact Program (Real Talk), measured by the Occupational Experience Profile (OEP).
Methodology
Three at-risk adolescent were recruited via convenience sampling from Real Talk to participate in a twelve-session HIT intervention, one participant completed all sessions. Researchers used a quasi-experimental exploratory sequential mixed-methods design to examine self-control, health-related behaviors, and occupational participation measured before and after each exercise session using the OEP. Qualitative data informed quantitative data using the OEP.
Results Results suggest that engaging in a five-week high-intensity exercise protocol may contribute to the participant’s improved self-control and healthy decision-making choices when engaging in extracurricular activities. Additionally, the OEP captured participant’s improved self-efficacy and insights into various environmental factors that contributed to or inhibited perception of healthy occupations through exercise intensity.
Conclusion
Results suggest that HIT may assist with improving self-control, healthy- related behaviors, and healthy occupational participation in at-risk adolescents in a community-based setting as measured by the OEP. Future research is needed with larger sample sizes to determine the validity of HIT’s benefits for at-risk youth.
Keywords
Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor; Decision making; Exercise; Neuroplasticity; Occupational Therapy; Youth
Disciplines
Medical Neurobiology | Medicine and Health Sciences | Neuroscience and Neurobiology | Neurosciences | Occupational Therapy
File Format
File Size
2100 KB
Degree Grantor
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
Language
English
Repository Citation
Kaplan, Tashia, "The Feasibility of High-Intensity Training to Improve Self-Control and Occupational Participation in At-Risk Adolescents" (2024). UNLV Theses, Dissertations, Professional Papers, and Capstones. 5018.
http://dx.doi.org/10.34917/37650841
Rights
IN COPYRIGHT. For more information about this rights statement, please visit http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Included in
Medical Neurobiology Commons, Neuroscience and Neurobiology Commons, Neurosciences Commons, Occupational Therapy Commons